NWF and Deepwater Wind are committed to ensuring that critically endangered North Atlantic right whales are protected throughout all stages of offshore wind power development. Photo Credit: NOAA

Throughout the project’s development, the National Wildlife Federation worked with Deepwater Wind and key partners (Conservation Law Foundation, Natural Resources Defense Council, and the Environment Council of Rhode Island, our state affiliate) to ensure that the project’s siting and construction protected local wildlife, especially the endangered North Atlantic right whale. Together we developed a detailed agreement to protect migrating right whales during all stages of siting and construction – an agreement they signed for both the Block Island Wind Farm and their larger endeavor over the horizon. Deepwater is proving that we can deploy cleaner sources of energy and protect wildlife at the same time.

By the end of 2016, the Block Island Wind Farm’s five offshore wind turbines will be online, generating enough clean energy to meet the needs of 17,000 homes. The turbines will replace a costly, polluting diesel generator that currently requires Block Islanders to import one million gallons of diesel fuel annually. Soon, the island will host an energy profile that matches its conservation legacy, protecting future generations and the island’s treasured wildlife and landscapes from the contamination of their air and water.

The Federation in partnership with the Environment Council of Rhode Island proudly endorsed the Block Island Wind Farm years ago – both as an exemplary project that protects wildlife and as a signal of support in the transition to cleaner sources of energy. From Deepwater Wind’s agreement to protect critically endangered right whales, to the close engagement of local fishing, boating, conservation, labor, and tribal communities, we are thrilled today to celebrate its construction.

Over the next several weeks, the Block Island Wind Farm’s five foundations will be installed. The project will be complete and generating power by the end of 2016. Photo Credit: NWF

It was also fantastic to see the strong support of U.S. Interior Secretary Sally Jewell, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management Director Abby Hopper, Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo, U.S. Senators Reed and Whitehouse, Congressmen Cicilline and Langevin, state officials, and other close partners all on hand and working together in pursuit of wildlife-friendly offshore wind power. I am more optimistic than ever that we can face the challenges ahead, while putting folks to work and protecting our natural resources, as we seize America’s clean energy future.

Excitement filled the air in an industrial park in North Kingstown, Rhode Island yesterday, where Deepwater Wind invited the press and supporters to kickoff the construction of America’s first offshore wind power project. In March, after seven years of committed stakeholder engagement and successfully completing state and federal permitting processes, Deepwater Wind announced that their pilot project, the Block Island Wind Farm, is fully financed and on track to begin construction this year.

Yesterday, Rhode Island’s political leadership joined Deepwater Wind and local business, labor, and environmental community members at Specialty Diving Services to celebrate the more than 300 construction jobs that will be needed to craft the nation’s first five offshore wind turbines. We, in the crowd, were eager to see the crew at work, to finally catch a glimpse of the most tangible progress the offshore wind industry has known on this side of the Atlantic. First, we heard from some truly proud Rhode Islanders. One by one, the speakers expressed the overarching sentiment of the historic moment, that this project is the start of something big.

“We’re celebrating more than just an offshore wind farm… we’re celebrating, I think, the beginnings of a new U.S. industry.” – Deepwater Wind CEO Jeffrey Grybowski

“Not only are we going to create jobs, but we’re going to rebrand ourselves as being more innovative and, over time, make Rhode Island a place that has lower energy costs, more diversified energy supply and greener energy.” – RI Governor Gina Raimondo

The offshore wind power industry supports over 60,000 jobs worldwide. Now the US contributes to that number! (NWF photo by Amber Hewett)

When the speeches wrapped up, we all donned our hard hats and poured into the construction zone. Everyone around us was hard at work, building the five foundations that will soon break ground on an industry that has been just out of reach in America for the more than twenty years it has been charging forward in Europe. It was an awesome sight.

NWF has celebrated every one of the Block Island Wind Farm’s milestones. We testified at public hearings, organized events to cultivate support, and wrote countless letters to a long list of newspapers touting our endorsement and highlighting Deepwater Wind’s active commitment to protecting coastal and marine wildlife and habitat throughout every stage of development. Yesterday’s event was a testament to what open and collaborative determination are capable of… in this case, launching America’s offshore wind power industry from a small island off of the smallest state.

“Rhode Islanders should be very proud,” responded NWF’s Northeast Regional Executive Director Curtis Fisher. “They and their elected officials are national leaders in advancing a clean energy economy that keeps their hard-earned dollars local — creating new jobs and a prosperous community. The first-in-the-water Block Island Wind Farm replaces dirty diesel generators that were costly and polluting. We also commend the project developer, Deepwater Wind, and the state for agreeing to go beyond current regulations to protect the endangered North Atlantic Right Whale.”

The Block Island Wind Farm will employ more than 300 construction workers in Rhode Island. (NWF photo by Amber Hewett)

Perhaps most noteworthy about yesterday’s event, were the many flavors of optimism that could be overheard. Environmental advocates were thrilled by the win for a massive untapped clean energy solution that has enormous potential to reduce our reliance on carbon polluting fossil fuels (and can protect wildlife and habitat throughout every stage of development). Labor community leaders took to the podium with enthusiasm for the long-term, high-quality jobs the offshore wind industry will bring to coastal and inland communities. Governor Raimondo and Rhode Islands federal and state legislators repeatedly emphasized the benefits state ratepayers will enjoy with a more diverse and local energy portfolio. Uniting everyone, above all, was the welcome confidence that we were sharing in the kickoff of one project that will itself lead a new clean and responsible energy era.

We’ll be tracking every stage of the Block Island Wind Farm’s construction here on Wildlife Promise and on the NWF Northeast Facebook page, so stay tuned!

]]>http://blog.nwf.org/2015/04/americas-offshore-wind-power-industry-finally-sends-real-sparks-flying/feed/1The Department of Energy’s New Vision on Wind Powerhttp://blog.nwf.org/2015/04/the-department-of-energys-new-vison-on-wind-power/
http://blog.nwf.org/2015/04/the-department-of-energys-new-vison-on-wind-power/#commentsThu, 02 Apr 2015 13:19:57 +0000http://blog.nwf.org/?p=105641The future of the U.S. energy supply is looking blustery – and that’s a good thing! On March 12th, the Department of Energy (DOE) released a new report titled Wind Vision: A New Era for Wind Power in the United States. This report builds upon the findings from the department’s 2008 20% Wind by 2030 report. The new report seeks to document the current state of wind energy, predict the future capacity of wind power, and assess the potential economic, environmental, and social benefits of it. The major finding from this recent report is that wind energy will supply at least 20% of electric demand by 2030 and 35% by 2050. In general, the report finds that wind power is an affordable, available source of energy that is beneficial for people and wildlife.

Turning to America’s largest untapped clean energy opportunity, the report recognizes that globally, offshore wind power reached 6.5 gigawatts in 2013. The U.S. is finally about to get in the game with the Block Island Wind Farm on track to begin construction this summer. The report predicts that offshore wind power capacity will reach 86 gigawatts by 2050 – in the US alone! The report also predicts that offshore wind power will expand to all regions of the U.S. including the East Coast, West Coast, Great Lakes, and Gulf of Mexico. The best part? This is all expected to happen while costs for offshore wind energy decrease by over 50% in the next 35 years!

What else needs to be done?

The report also includes a “road map” for achieving the 35% by 2050 level which includes nine action areas that will help the U.S. lower costs and remove major hurdles to wind power. Some of these action areas include technology advancement, expanding developable areas, and workforce development.

Though the report outlines a robust wind energy future, with all of the growth and success the wind industry has had in the past several years (wind capacity tripled since DOE’s 2008 report!), 35% wind in 2050 might seem a little low. This is largely because the report is a conservative and achievable data-driven estimate of where the industry will be without significant policy incentives or major technological breakthroughs. However, extending or implementing critical wind incentives such as the Production Tax Credit and Investment Tax Credits and ground breaking policies like the Clean Power Plan or renewable portfolio standards are bound to help decrease near-term costs and further expand the potential of wind energy – so stay tuned!

One of many United Kingdom offshore wind farms (credit: London Array Limited)

2015 will be the year the United States begins constructing its first offshore wind turbines. This major milestone will set the stage for the largest and most scalable clean energy source waiting untapped right next to some of this country’s largest metropolitan regions, such as New York City, Boston and their surrounding suburbs.

“NWF is jazzed having spent six years advocating for appropriately sited, wildlife-friendly, offshore wind in the Atlantic Ocean, to see Rhode Island’s Block Island project move toward construction,” stated Curtis Fisher, NWF Northeast Regional Executive Director. “The Block Island project will set the stage for much larger scale projects in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New York and New Jersey that will bring clean energy to power our businesses and homes.”

“We are on the cusp of bringing offshore wind from theory to reality in the U.S. We’re incredibly proud of our position at the forefront of the U.S. offshore wind industry. We’ve brought together some of the best American and European expertise to build an outstanding project and finance team. We’re poised to launch a new American clean-tech industry, and it all starts here with our work on the Block Island Wind Farm.”

– Deepwater Wind CEO Jeffrey Grybowski

For two decades, Europe has advanced offshore wind power into the massive clean energy industry it is today, supporting 70,000 jobs, improving local air and water quality, and protecting ratepayers from the volatility of the fossil fuel market. Here in the U.S., our businesses, our residents, our wildlife, and our landscapes have yet to benefit from the potential of our own massive clean energy resource. Deepwater Wind is finally going to change that, by building five 6-megawatt turbines that will show coastal community members just what they’ve been missing out on. Block Islanders will shift from reliance on the one million gallons of diesel, trucked on ferry to the island’s generator every year. Their offshore wind farm will harness the inescapably strong wind the island is known for, and will decrease electric rates for homes and businesses by more than forty percent.

Yesterday’s announcement marks a new reality for America, and for what our energy future can be. Block Island’s five offshore wind turbines will be fully operational by the end of 2016, at which point they will show state leaders along the coast, and those on Capitol Hill, that we have been neglecting to reap the rewards of an abundant, pollution-free power source that is well within reach using current advanced technology, and can protect coastal and marine wildlife and habitats every step of the way. This is the start of a long-awaited celebration of our home-grown offshore wind resource. Wildlife and future generations are counting on us to start here and ramp up quickly, seizing the inexhaustible clean energy opportunity over our horizon. Now, we are one major step closer.

]]>http://blog.nwf.org/2015/03/first-u-s-offshore-wind-turbines-financed-for-2015-construction/feed/0Marylanders Ask Elected Officials for Clean Energyhttp://blog.nwf.org/2015/03/marylanders-ask-elected-officials-for-clean-energy/
http://blog.nwf.org/2015/03/marylanders-ask-elected-officials-for-clean-energy/#commentsMon, 02 Mar 2015 20:56:08 +0000http://blog.nwf.org/?p=104486Hundreds of Marylanders rallied in Annapolis, Maryland last week to show their support for the Clean Energy Advancement Act. The National Wildlife Federation and members of the Maryland Climate Coalition joined together with business, health, faith, labor and climate leaders to urge the General Assembly to act in 2015 to expand the state’s goals for clean electricity ahead of a key Senate hearing on the bill. Both the House and Senate committees heard testimony in support of the bill from the broad cross-section of Maryland leaders and energy experts.

Over 150 clean energy supporters gathered in front of the Maryland State House on the evening of the 23rd ahead of the General Assembly session. Photo by JT Stokes

“Over 230 religious leaders across Maryland, including the bishops of seven Christian denominations, have joined together to speak out for clean energy,” said Rev. Stephen Tillett, of Asbury Broadneck United Methodist Church. “It’s not right that we still get half of our state’s energy from fossil fuels that pollute the air and make our neighbors sick. Our faith communities are showing that there is a better way.”

The Clean Energy Advancement Act (HB 377/SB 373), recently introduced with 16 Senate and 45 House co-sponsors, would gradually raise Maryland’s existing clean electricity consumption mandate, called the “Renewable Portfolio Standard.” The bill would require that 25 percent of Maryland’s electricity comes from clean sources by 2020 and set a trajectory to reach 40 percent by 2025, doubling the current standard. The policy would also create nearly 1,600 new jobs per year in the state’s solar industry and spur 18,000 new jobs in the regional wind-power economy. According to the Maryland Clean Energy Center, clean energy jobs already generate more than $8.2 billion in associated salaries and wages in Maryland on an annual basis.

The bill comes at a time when Maryland is experiencing the increasingly detrimental effects of relying on fossil fuels—coal, oil, and gas—for energy, including dangerous air pollution, contaminated water and damaging weather:

Last year, 2014, was the hottest year on record worldwide, while recent studies show, Baltimore and Annapolis lead the nation in increased flooding driven by rising sea levels.

Eighty-five percent of Maryland residents live in areas that fail to meet the nation’s clean air standards, and Maryland has the 8th worst ground ozone level in the nation.

Maryland ranks 5th in the nation in adult asthma and nearly 12 percent of Maryland children have asthma.

Maryland kids for clean energy heading out to show their support for more clean energy on a cold Lawyers’ Mall. Photo by Tiffany Hartung

Executives of Baltimore-based BITHENERGY, Inc., a firm that has developed, financed, and integrated over 33 megawatts of solar projects, underscored that state policy is key to attracting businesses like theirs to Maryland at the hearings and a press conference.

“When we started BITHENERGY a few years ago, we had the option of starting the company in any number of states,” said Robert L. Wallace, the president and CEO of BITHENERGY. “We chose the State of Maryland because of its commitment to expanding clean energy technologies and creating an economic environment that made it attractive to companies like BITHENERGY. The passage of HB 377 would significantly enhance the economic imperatives that are necessary for clean energy companies like BITHENERGY to thrive and to accelerate job formation.”

]]>http://blog.nwf.org/2015/03/marylanders-ask-elected-officials-for-clean-energy/feed/0Massachusetts Auction Boosts Offshore Wind Power Opportunity and Highlights Policy Needshttp://blog.nwf.org/2015/01/massachusetts-auction-boosts-offshore-wind-power-opportunity-and-highlights-policy-needs/
http://blog.nwf.org/2015/01/massachusetts-auction-boosts-offshore-wind-power-opportunity-and-highlights-policy-needs/#commentsFri, 30 Jan 2015 15:55:21 +0000http://blog.nwf.org/?p=103541Yesterday, the U.S. Department of the Interior auctioned more than 350,000 acres of federal waters far off the coast of Massachusetts for offshore wind power development. The competitive auction was the fourth of its kind, doubling the area currently leased in the Atlantic for this much-needed new clean energy source. Combined with the adjacent Wind Energy Area leased back in July, 2013, southern New England now has enough area leased to generate more than 5,000 megawatts of homegrown offshore wind energy – enough to power well over one million homes.

Massachusetts Wind Energy Area. The two uppermost areas were sold in yesterday’s competitive lease auction (BOEM).

“We are pleased to see continued commercial interest in the offshore wind industry, as demonstrated by today’s lease sale, particularly given the water depth of the wind energy area offshore Massachusetts. With provisional winners who are well established and have experience in developing wind energy facilities, we are optimistic about a strong renewable energy future offshore Massachusetts.” -Abigail Ross Hopper, Director of U.S. Interior Department’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management

Massachusetts legislators are currently debating where our energy should come from, and the swift finalization of that process just got even more pressing. Yesterday’s auction underscores the urgent need to enact a strong and effective state policy to provide market certainty for the vast amount of power off our shores. We need state leadership to respond to the environmental and economic challenges facing Massachusetts communities. It’s time to advance real solutions that will help fend of the extreme storms driven by climate change, unhinge ratepayers from the natural gas market roller coaster, and create long-term high-quality jobs for the Commonwealth.

(photo: London Array)

“Today’s offshore wind power auction brings us one step closer to realizing the truly clean energy future that people and wildlife need to protect us from the dangers of climate change,” said Catherine Bowes, Senior Manager for Climate & Energy at National Wildlife Federation. “Responsibly developed offshore wind power can provide a massive supply of clean electricity right when we need it – protecting ratepayers from the volatility of the natural gas market and spurring substantial local job creation. What’s needed now is leadership from Governor Baker and our legislative leaders to ensure that offshore wind power plays a major role in the Commonwealth’s energy future.”

We are at a pivotal moment. Massachusetts’s leaders need to hear our resounding support for the responsible advancement of offshore wind power. Today, we took a step in the right direction – and now we need to ensure that step is met with a policy that can cultivate real and persisting momentum toward the clean energy future critical to protecting wildlife and future generations from the dangers of climate change.

On the cold morning of January 14th, the first day of Maryland’s General Assembly, the National Wildlife Federation, our partners in the Maryland Climate Coalition, and other clean energy supporters rallied in front of the State House to call for action in 2015 to double the state’s use of clean electricity like wind and solar.

“Maryland needs to get out front of the burgeoning clean energy industry in this country,” Sen. Brian Feldman, chief sponsor of the legislation in the Senate told the group. “It will mean good paying jobs and a much needed boost to our economy. Other states are advancing on clean energy, and Maryland has a golden opportunity now to get ahead of the curve with this legislation.”

The solar industry in Maryland now surpasses the state’s iconic crab industry in total economic value. Doubling Maryland’s renewable portfolio standard would create nearly 2,000 new jobs per year in the state’s solar industry and spur over 20,000 new jobs in the regional wind-power economy.

Pat Lippold, political director of 1199 SEIU United Healthcare Workers East, told the crowd that the promise of good clean energy jobs and cleaner air and water drew support from Maryland’s health care workers. “The health care workers of 1199 SEIU support expanding Maryland’s renewable energy portfolio because climate change is a public health crisis,” said Lippold. “The impacts fall disproportionately on Maryland’s communities of color and poorest communities, which suffer from more polluted air and higher rates of breathing problems.”

The Maryland Clean Energy Advancement Act of 2015will double Maryland’s Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) requirement to 40% clean electricity by 2025. The current state RPS requires 20% of the state’s electricity to come from renewable sources by 2022. The RPS was originally signed into law in 2004 by former Republican Governor Bob Ehrlich. Maryland utilities are currently on track to surpass the current standard, providing Marylanders with 10.3% of energy purchased from renewable sources in 2014.

“Climate change is already having direct negative impacts on our lives, families, and communities, and those impacts will only get much worse in the coming years,” stated Gerald Stansbury, President of the Maryland State Conference of the NAACP. “That’s why climate change is a civil rights and an economic justice issue. At the same time, doubling our clean energy will greatly benefit our communities. It will help clean up our air, put people to work, and seriously address climate justice.”

Currently, more than 85 percent of Marylanders live in areas that fail to meet the nation’s clean air standards, and the National Academy of Sciences estimates that illness caused by polluting energy sources costs Maryland households an average of $73 per month. A separate analysis shows that a 40% clean electricity standard will prevent 200 to 450 deaths per year in Maryland.

The Maryland Climate Coalition and partners will continue to work to make this historic clean energy bill a priority to pass in 2015 for the climate, the economy and public health.

2015 is gearing up to be a major turning point in America’s offshore wind power story. For years, debate, misinformation, and fossil-fuel funded opposition have kept America from hosting a single one of the more than 2,000 offshore wind turbines creating clean energy and quality jobs worldwide. That will finally change this year, when the fully permitted Block Island Wind Farm begins construction on its five turbine demonstration project far off the coast of mainland Rhode Island.

Creating Opportunities for Economic Development

Massachusetts was an early leader in pursuit of offshore wind power.With the foresight to develop the New Bedford Marine Commerce Terminal, the Commonwealth is well positioned to launch the robust offshore wind industry New England needs to ensure a diverse energy portfolio that can buffer ratepayers from expensive fossil fuel market spikes, create massive economic development opportunities across the state, and protect our communities and wildlife from the dangers of climate change.

In order for Massachusetts to reap the many economic and environmental benefits offshore wind power can deliver, the state needs to make a strong commitment to including this massive, local clean energy source into its energy portfolio. Just last week, Speaker Pro Tempore Pat Haddad of Somerset introduced an energy bill that includes a state offshore wind policy of nationally unprecedented scale. The proposed legislation, An act to promote energy diversity (HD 3217), outlines a range of suggestions for where the Commonwealth should get its power in the coming years. Much of the bill includes provisions that are fundamentally inconsistent with meeting the Commonwealth’s Global Warming Solutions Act and ensuring a strong market for local, job creating clean energy industries, and we are committed to advocating for substantial revisions. The offshore wind power provision is a shining exception – a clear example of the type of policy that is critically needed to launch the nation toward the clean energy frontier waiting over our horizon.

A strong and effective state offshore wind policy in Massachusetts can provide long-term market certainty needed for this new industry to take off. A commitment to offshore wind power of the scale that Rep. Haddad has outlined – more than 2,000 megawatts (MW) by 2030 – is currently the missing puzzle piece. It creates the market stability needed to attract confident investors, and guarantees the long-term protection for ratepayers from the price volatility we are experiencing as a result of our current over-reliance on imported natural gas. It presents values that could position Massachusetts and the region to welcome thousands of megawatts of clean, homegrown power – and finally start catching up with our neighbors across the Atlantic.

Massachusetts Leads in the Development of Offshore Wind Power

Massachusetts is regarded as a leader in the pursuit of offshore wind power, and next week will again take the national stage in America’s offshore wind story. On January 29th the federal Department of the Interior will hold an auction for the 742,000 acre Massachusetts Wind Energy Area positioned 12 miles south of Nantucket. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory estimates that the area could power 1.6 million homes. Combined with the adjacent Wind Energy Area that was leased to Deepwater Wind in 2013, Massachusetts has direct access to over 8,000 MW of clean energy far off our shores – a staggering amount of reliable power. And thanks to over two decades of development in Europe, the advanced technology needed to harness this abundant wind resource is commercially available, affordable, and offers pivotal economic development opportunities along the South Coast and across the Commonwealth.

Our wildlife, coastal communities, and future generations are counting on a strong reduction in carbon emissions to curb the dangers of climate change.Responsibly developed offshore wind power has a major role to play in the clean energy future we are reaching for, and we have no time to waste. 2015 is off to a confident start – let’s make sure Governor Baker and Massachusetts’ legislative leaders lead us forward with a strong offshore wind commitment.

]]>http://blog.nwf.org/2015/01/energy-bill-proposed-in-massachusetts-contains-unprecedented-commitment-to-offshore-wind-power/feed/02015 State of Union Provides New Hope for Protecting Wildlife From Climate Changehttp://blog.nwf.org/2015/01/2015-state-of-union-provides-new-hope-for-protecting-wildlife-from-climate-change/
http://blog.nwf.org/2015/01/2015-state-of-union-provides-new-hope-for-protecting-wildlife-from-climate-change/#commentsWed, 21 Jan 2015 20:11:52 +0000http://blog.nwf.org/?p=103297Last year, after the President’s State of the Union Address, I wrote a blog expressing cautious optimism about his agenda on climate change. I talked about my two young kids, who I’ve been teaching to ski, with the hope that when they grow up we’ll have made progress combatting climate change and winters will still be around.

A year later, my kids are now cruising down the slopes with confidence and my hopes are much less cautious. After a year and an even stronger State of the Union Address from the President, like my kids on the slopes, I’m feeling much more confident we are turning a corner in the fight against climate change. This is good news for wildlife and our children.

Here are some reasons why.

Photo credit: Philippe Henry

The Moral Call for Climate Action

President Obama issued his strongest call for climate action yet. Here’s what he said:

And no challenge — no challenge — poses a greater threat to future generations than climate change.

2014 was the planet’s warmest year on record. Now, one year doesn’t make a trend, but this does — 14 of the 15 warmest years on record have all fallen in the first 15 years of this century. … The best scientists in the world are all telling us that our activities are changing the climate, and if we do not act forcefully, we’ll continue to see rising oceans, longer, hotter heat waves, dangerous droughts and floods, and massive disruptions that can trigger greater migration, conflict, and hunger around the globe. The Pentagon says that climate change poses immediate risks to our national security. We should act like it.

And he touted real progress:

That’s why, over the past six years, we’ve done more than ever before to combat climate change, from the way we produce energy, to the way we use it. … And that’s why I will not let this Congress endanger the health of our children by turning back the clock on our efforts. I am determined to make sure American leadership drives international action. In Beijing, we made an historic announcement — the United States will double the pace at which we cut carbon pollution, and China committed, for the first time, to limiting their emissions. And because the world’s two largest economies came together, other nations are now stepping up, and offering hope that, this year, the world will finally reach an agreement to protect the one planet we’ve got.

Dirty Power Plants

In his 2014 speech, the President promised historic action to reduce emissions from dirty power plants, the source of about 40% of the nation’s carbon pollution emissions. In June, we got them when the Environmental Protection Agency issued its Clean Power Plan, the first ever proposed regulations to govern carbon pollution from power plants. EPA is considering comments and will issue final rules in the summer.

Solar power is part of the solution to combating climate change.

While the rules leave some room for improvement – something we hope EPA will do before finalizing – they provide an excellent start by giving states flexible options to cut carbon pollution by using measures cleaner renewable energy generation, energy efficiency and teaming with other states to create regional mechanisms to cut greenhouse gas emissions.

Keystone XL

Unlike last year, when he stayed silent about the proposed Keystone XL tar sands pipeline, this year President Obama said:

21st century businesses need 21st century infrastructure — modern ports, stronger bridges, faster trains and the fastest internet. Democrats and Republicans used to agree on this. So let’s set our sights higher than a single oil pipeline. Let’s pass a bipartisan infrastructure plan that could create more than thirty times as many jobs per year, and make this country stronger for decades to come.

Today, the chances for rejection of this dirty tar sands pipeline have never been better. Not only is the case stronger than ever that Keystone XL would exacerbate the problem of climate change and fail the President’s test for determining whether the pipeline serves the national interest, but the President has repeatedly made statements indicating that he understands the pipeline is all risk and no reward.

Also, for the first time, the President has affirmatively said he will veto any Congressional attempt to approve Keystone XL.

The facts are in and Keystone XL is bad for wildlife, bad for the climate, and bad for the lands and waters it will threaten with a tar sands spill. 2015 stands be the year where, for the first time, a President said no to a major energy infrastructure project because the climate implications were too high. It won’t be the last time.

What the President Didn’t Say

In what marks a positive change, the President did not say we were pursuing an all-of-the-above energy strategy. With scientists telling us that we need to leave most of the world’s remaining fossil fuels in the ground, we can’t afford an all-of-the-above approach to energy. To protect wildlife and our children’s future, we need a best of the above approach. The President’s retreat from “all-of-the-above” is step forward.

Natural Gas

While the President didn’t mention natural gas specifically, EPA recently announced that it would be pursuing first time regulation of new and modified sources of methane pollution from oil and gas production to reduce emissions by 40-45%. These rules would complement an effort by the Bureau of Land Management to reduce methane waste on public lands – a valuable public commodity companies are literally letting escape or be burnt into atmosphere.

These measures to control methane are critical to broader efforts to reduce pollution, and necessary to meet the target President Obama set in a groundbreaking agreement with China – a 26-28% greenhouse gas reduction by 2025. Existing sources of oil and gas production must also be tackled, but EPA’s announcement is another big step towards reducing our carbon pollution emissions and cleaning up public lands wildlife and people value.

It is perhaps not coincidental that this invigorated effort to tackle climate change comes after the largest climate rally ever.

2014 appears to have been a turning point for climate action. Denial is no longer an option. People are demanding action. The road ahead is long and the climb is steep. But we’re getting started and the reasons for hope keep growing.

]]>http://blog.nwf.org/2015/01/2015-state-of-union-provides-new-hope-for-protecting-wildlife-from-climate-change/feed/0Energy Announcement on Long Island Indicates We Have a Long Way to Gohttp://blog.nwf.org/2014/12/energy-announcement-on-long-island-indicates-we-have-a-long-way-to-go/
http://blog.nwf.org/2014/12/energy-announcement-on-long-island-indicates-we-have-a-long-way-to-go/#commentsThu, 18 Dec 2014 14:51:02 +0000http://blog.nwf.org/?p=102775

A long-awaited clean energy announcement on Long Island yesterday missed a major opportunity finally bring New York’s massive offshore wind power resource online. The Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) committed to purchasing 122 megawatts (MW) of solar energy for New York. While every advancement of responsibly developed clean energy marks a step toward the kind of energy future we need – one that protects wildlife and future generations from the dangers of climate change – LIPA’s decision fails to meet even half of Governor Cuomo’s promise to supply 280 MW of renewable energy to Long Island.

A study released this week by Stony Brook University found that an offshore wind power project of comparable size to the one proposed to LIPA would have “essentially no impact” on ratepayers bills – meaning that Long Islanders could get cleaner power without facing a higher electric bill.

Demonstrated by the booming international industry that supports 70,000 employees overseas, developing America’s offshore wind power resources will create thousands of permanent, well-paying U.S. jobs.

The wind far off of Long Island’s Atlantic coast is some of the best in the world – conveniently adjacent to one of our nation’s largest energy markets. It is an unmatched opportunity to offer a large-scale energy solution to the strained New York Metro market that is home-grown, inexhaustible, and pollution-free.

Offshore wind power produces energy right when we need it. By a very fortunate coincidence, summer heat waves, afternoons, and winter cold snaps (those costly moments when we are asking the most of our electric grid), the winds offshore are blowing at their strongest.

The Northeast region is dangerously reliant on natural gas – and hinged to all the price volatility that comes with it. Offshore wind power will stabilize electric rates by diversifying our power supply, and growing the portion of that supply that is controlled by the leaders we elect.

One of more than 70 offshore wind farms worldwide — none of which are in U.S. waters… yet! (Photo: London Array)

Governor Cuomo missed a major opportunity to advance offshore wind power with today’s announcement, but the conversation is far from over. We need to advance clean energy solutions that match the scale of the challenges before us. In Atlantic Coast states, offshore wind power is a critical piece of the solution. New Yorkers have been loud and clear expressing their support for this massive local clean energy source, and we need to take this opportunity to raise the volume on our call to action: offshore wind power is a solution we are lucky to have, one that matches the values and concerns of New York ratepayers, and now is the time to make it happen.

The National Wildlife Federation is committed to helping realize our massive Atlantic offshore wind power potential in a manner that protects wildlife and their habitats throughout all stages of development. New York’s coastal and low-lying communities know the threats of climate change all too well – it is time we take action and build the smarter, more resilient energy future that is within reach and to hold our elected officials accountable to doing their part.